Carmen de Icaza (1899–1979)

Carmen de Icaza was born in Madrid, a daughter of Francisco Asís de Icaza, a Mexican diplomat, academic, and poet serving as ambassador to Spain, and his wife Beatriz de León y Loynaz. The family accompanied her father to his various postings in Europe, and she grew up mostly in Berlin, Germany. She learned to speak four languages ​​and traveled widely. After her father died in 1925, Carmen went to work as a journalist for El Sol newspaper to help support the family.
In 1930, she married Pedro Montojo Sureda, with whom she had one daughter. Carmen began writing novels under the pen name Valeria de León, but eventually used her real name for her books. She became a bestselling romance novelist, enjoying her greatest success with her 1936 book Cristina Guzmán. It was adapted for the stage, television and twice for Spanish cinema. She was given a peerage as Baronesa de Claret for her work with charities such as the Red Cross.